Sail Away With Me
by NoPoe
Summary: "I'm going to become KING OF THE PIRATES!" Though, she half expected to find him floating in a barrel, she's slightly surprised to see that he had already gained crew members, one being an annoying swordsman who swears that he'll be the World's Greatest Swordsman. "You accept people with impossible dreams, huh, Luffy?" Eventual Zoro/OC
1. Prologue — Goodbye

**Sail Away With Me  
**By: Cheyenne Shytle

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Summary: "I'm going to become KING OF THE PIRATES!" Because of making a promise with Luffy ten years ago, Aurora has left her crew in search for the future Pirate King. Though, she half expected to find him floating in a barrel, she's slightly surprised to see that he had already gained crew members, one being an annoying swordsman who swears that he'll be the World's Greatest Swordsman. "You accept people with impossible dreams, huh, Luffy?" Eventual Zoro/OC Rated M

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_"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." _—Eleanor Roosevelt

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Prologue — Goodbye

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[Theme: _End Of An Era_ by Zack Hemsey]

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_"I'm going to be the next Pirate King!"_

_Staring wide eyed at the younger boy, Aurora watched as he stood from his place on the dock. Her heart skipped a beat, not being able to believe what he had just proclaimed. This scrawny kid was gonna be the next Pirate King? As if. Although her mind raced with uncertain doubts for this kid's future, her heart pounded against her ribcage as goosebumps ghosted over her skin. It was just something in his eyes that made the doubts fly out of her ear. She stared intensely up at the younger boy as he frowned seriously down at her. _

_Trying to play off the strange vibe this kid put off, Aurora snorted and laid her hand in her chin, looking back out to the setting horizon. "You 'ave 'bout as much chance as bein' the next Pirate King as I 'ave to bein' a Marine," she said, her strange accent colored with distaste at the sound of being such. _

_It was silent and Aurora thought that Luffy was done talking nonsense and glanced at him. But what she saw made her want to take back the harsh words she spoke. His eyes were set in a dark glare, hands clenched tightly at his side, and teeth barred like a vicious dog. His aura was positively livid by the redhead's accusation. "It's my dream," he replied, voice even and low, "and I won't have anyone laughing at it—not even you!" He pointed at her then and Aurora was taken aback by the shear ferocity of his tone. _

_Narrowing her eyes, she stood up, using their slight height difference to her advantage. She smacked his finger out of her face, growling, "I don't care if it is your dream, ya brat, because that's all that it is—a silly li'l dream from a silly li'l boy!" Gritting her teeth, the eight year old walked away from Luffy, grumbling angrily under her breath. _

_His next words stopped her. _

_"When I'm old enough, I'm going to set sail and become a pirate so I can search for One Piece. But before I do, I'm gonna need a crew." She turned to look at the younger boy as he stared her down. "And you're gonna be part of that crew so I can PROVE YOU WRONG!" He walked over to her and poked her chest, emphasizing his next words, "And then I'll find One Piece and become KING OF THE PIRATES!" _

_His determination that day left something in Aurora, something that wormed its way through her defenses and into her heart. That day was the day that she never doubted Luffy ever again. _

_It was also the day she agreed to join his crew. _

Sighing, Aurora sat quietly at her desk, the light from the lamp illuminating the many papers and maps stacked messily on top of the table. Running a hand through her red hair, the eighteen year old set her feet down on the floor as she looked for a clean sheet of paper and pen. She found the pen easily, but as for the paper? She grumbled under her breath, deciding to stack the papers as neatly as she could before she found a decently clean piece of paper. Clicking her pen a couple of times, the redhead let the pen dance across the piece of paper.

As she wrote, Aurora thought back to the many adventures and misadventures she and her crew went through. And to think that it all started with Jayce. Smiling sadly, the redhead thought of her next sentence carefully before writing it down. She read over what she already had and continued with vigor, wanting to set her plan into action before she put it off for the next day. Finishing her letter, Aurora read it over and nodded, approving it appropriate and putting it in an envelope before rising from her chair and grabbed her bag of necessities.

Before exiting her (former) office, she took one last look, knowing that she won't have another chance. Closing the door softly behind her, she walked down the stairs and into the galley, her free hand dancing over the table and relishing all the moments of absurdity and celebrating done in this room. She reached the place at the head of the table—her seat—and laid the envelope down. Pausing, the young woman closed her eyes and frowned heavily._ It has to be done_, she thought sadly. Glancing around the galley and into the kitchen, she left silently, her footfalls quiet; it was like she was never there to begin with.

She ghosted up the stairs and made her way over to one of the two dinghies, setting her things in one and lowering herself and the small boat onto the water. Setting herself down, the began to row away, using an excessive amount of energy to get away quicker, knowing that it would be time for Nile's watch. When she couldn't see her—the ship anymore, the redhead let the tears flow freely from her eyes. With quivering lips, she uttered one word, "Goodbye."

Then, she disappeared within the gentle, rolling waves and darkened horizon.

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Yawning, Peter trudged his way towards the galley, stomach growling at the thought of food. What he expected to see was the crew sitting around the captain, laughing and telling ridiculous stories to one another as Samuel served them breakfast. What he saw, however, was the complete opposite. The crew were all sitting around the table, a solemn air hanging above their heads as Samuel cooked, a frown set upon his lips. Peter looked around the room and saw that Aurora was not around and thought for a fleeting second that she was still sleeping.

_Captain never oversleeps_, Peter rationalized. His heart skipped a couple of beats as he walked over to the rest of the crew. "Where's Captain?" He questioned, swallowing hard when Jayce handed him a piece of paper with words on it. Gripping the paper tightly in his hands, Peter read over the letter several times before it finally set in.

Aurora was gone.

Jayce glanced at the younger man out of the corner of his eye, watching his reaction. He knew that Peter was in love with the redhead—I mean, how could you not care for the redhead who, without question, took in a bunch of misfits? But it was the fact that Peter's admiration and fondness ran deeper than that for Aurora. She necessarily didn't do anything that made his love for her to grow but just the simple fact of belonging and knowing that he was cared for was enough for his attachment to grow into something more.

"But she can't be gone," the twenty-two year old inventor spoke, his voice soft and on the brink of anger.

"Aye, but she is, lad." Michael replied, running a hand through his hair. "We've already checked her quarters and found her clothes gone. Some money was taken out of the volt and one of the dinghies are missing." He looked at the younger male in sympathy. "I'm sorry, lad, but she's gone."

With nothing else to do, the inventor sat down in between Jayce and Vabriel. He brought a hand up to pull on his auburn hair as he willed himself not to cry. He could feel his heart pumping loudly against his ribs, vibrating through his chest. His head was racing with so many thoughts. _How could she leave? Did we not matter to her? Maybe the Marines were right in calling her heartless? Will she ever come back? _

"Now don't 'cha be thinkin' awful thoughts 'bout her, lad," Samuel growled from his place in the kitchen. Peter looked up from the table and shifted his stare to the chef. "She left us in good 'ands, ain't tha' right, Jayce?"

The (former) first mate stayed silent for a moment, his brown eyes hardening ever so slightly. "Though she may have left unexpectedly and quite abruptly, she cared for us in a way only a mother could for her troublemaking children. She left with a good cause, we knew that this adventure with her wouldn't be forever. We knew that she would leave in search for her brother. Now, I suggest that all of us remember her as she is and pray that someday we'll see her again." He looked at each crew member as he spoke, making sure that his message got through to them. Silence descended upon them, the only sound coming from Samuel as he cooked breakfast.

_Dear Crew, _

_I regrettably inform you that our adventure with myself as captain has come to an end. Last night was the last time that I would probably ever see you again. I can only hope that we'll cross paths someday. In case any of you have forgotten, I made a promise to a little boy a long time ago that I would join his crew in search for One Piece. Unfortunately, that day has arrived that I must leave to search for him so I may fulfill that promise. But no matter what, I will always love all of you and never forget all the laughs and adventures we shared in that short amount of time and if I could go back and do it all over again, I would gladly do so. _

_I leave Jayce as captain now. _

_I hope that you'll forgive me. _

_Sincerely, _

_Aurora_

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**WOOP WOOP! SO EXCITED FOR THE REVISED VERSION OF LET THE SHACKLES FALL IS UP~!**


	2. I — Fine Line

_Summary: "I'm going to become KING OF THE PIRATES!" Because of making a promise with Luffy ten years ago, Aurora has left her crew in search for the future Pirate King. Though, she half expected to find him floating in a barrel, she's slightly surprised to see that he had already gained two crew members, one being an annoying swordsman who swears that he'll be the World's Greatest Swordsman. "You accept people with impossible dreams, huh, Luffy?" Eventual Zoro/OC Rated M_

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I — Fine Line

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"_Mommy, why are they doing that to that lady?_"

Aurora lifted her eyes from the ground, watching as a small boy tugged on his mother's dress, his other hand pointing in her direction. The little boy was young, barely seven, with big round, green eyes and light brown hair. His ignorance of the world evident as he stared at her with a befuddled and doleful expression, his bottom lip puckered as if he was holding back a scream for the Marines to let her go. She gave him a small smile, his compassion and kind eyes reminding her of a boy who managed to find a way through the walls she so-lovely built many years ago.

The mother sneered in the redhead's direction, narrowing her eyes and yanking her son behind her, nearly tearing the boy's arm from the socket. "Because she is part of the insignificant scum beneath our feet—she deserves what she's been given!" Aurora watched the boy go, witnessing the look of pain on his face as he looked over his scrawny shoulder. Leaning her head in the crook of her arm, the redhead closed her eyes, her bones wailing as her skin stretched uncomfortably near her neck. As quietly as she could, she shifted her hands, feeling for any means of escape. She found none. Aurora closed her eyes, relaxing as best as she could, her ears prickling at the sound of people walking away or whispering the most unfavorable things in each other's ears.

The end of the day found Aurora watching the sun dip low into the water, the Marines posted at both her sides leaving her to find rest of their own. They saw no reason in staying with the prisoner when she was too weak to even sit up straight. And it was true—to a certain degree, of course. She might have been too weak to actually break out of the chains that held her, but she was strong enough to readjust herself to a more comfortable position. Heaving out a breath, the redhead tried once more to slip her wrist from the chaffing cuffs. Again, she could not, cursing her big hands. She blew out a long stream of breath, frustration bubbling at the bottom of her stomach.

The soft sound of footsteps caught her attention, her eyes traveling to see the young boy from earlier, a small plate of food clutched tightly in his grip. She glanced to and from the boy and the plate in his hands. A delightful smell wafted through the air, filling her nostrils. She almost groaned at the ravishing sight just a few inches away from her. Egg rolls, white rice, and some wasabi seemed to be shimmering to the starving redhead. Snapping out of her reverie, her eyes steadied themselves upon the small boy, raising a crimson brow, "What are you doing here, kid?"

He mumbled under his breath, looking anywhere but in the eyes of the female pirate. Then, taking a breath, he replied to her question, "You looked hungry and—"

"You do realize that you could get into a lot of trouble helping a criminal, right?" A hint of a smirk colored her words. "Why, what would your mother say?"

His outburst startled her, "I don't care what my momma would say!" His emerald eyes shined. "And… And you're hungry! And you're in pain! I-I mean, you're human too, right? Why… Why should you be treated badly because of-of the path you have chosen?"

"You don't know of the things I have done, kid. The sins that are lain upon my shoulders are worth what I have been given." She snorted, her voice forbidding.

"A cage?" He asked simply, stilling the girl into a unearthly silence. Her breathing stopped, her lungs screaming for the beautiful thing called oxygen. "What have you done that a cage is your consequence?"

A gulp of air rushed through her nostrils, shoulders shagging as much as they could. "Kid—"

"I brought you some food!" He cut her off, advancing closer so that he could touch her through the bars. Bringing out a pair of chopsticks from his persona, he picked up a egg roll, and poked it through the bars for Aurora to eat. "Don't worry, it's not poisoned if you're worried about that. Momma was just gonna throw it out anyways, so it's perfectly okay." His face was alit with a bright smile, resembling a boy Aurora knew all too well a long time ago.

Hesitantly, the redhead leaned forward, taking the small egg roll into her mouth, almost moaning at the heavenly taste. She closed her eyes, a small content sigh escaping her nose. When she opened her eyes, she found that the boy was already holding out another egg roll, his eyes shining. Amused by the boy's look, Aurora gave him a small smile. "Why don't you dip that one in some wasabi and then some rice, aye?" He did as she asked, happy as a gleeful noise left her throat. Soon, the food was gone and all that was left was a gratified redhead and a jubilant child. The silence was comfortable as the sun disappeared and the stars came out to wink down at them. "Thanks, kid," the female murmured, a soft smile crinkling the edges of her eyes.

His cheeks puffed out slightly, a cocky smile on his face. "You're welcome!" She chuckled, rolling her eyes slightly at the boy's antics. "Oh!" He held a hand, but realizing that she couldn't shake it, he opted to bow his head. "My name is Allen!"

She dipped her head also, tickled by the boy's introduction. "It's a pleasure, Allen. I am Aurora."

"Au-ro-ra," he tasted slowly, his tongue easily getting tied by the strange name. Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his dark head. "Boy, that's a mouthful."

Throwing her head back, the redhead let out a full belly laugh; one that left her throat raw and chest light. "You can call me Rory, kid."

"Okay!" His voice was shaky with restrained laughter. It wasn't until a few minutes later that Aurora suggested that he would need to get home before his mother grew worried. "Yeah…" She was surprised that he didn't put up a fight like most children would. He paused, sitting there a moment later, staring at the redhead and her at him. She gave him a reassuring smile, gesturing for him to go on. Picking up the plate and chopsticks, the boy turned to the female, a determined look on his face, "I'll come back again tomorrow." Before Aurora could protest, Allen was off, running to his home where his mother was waiting from him, questioning where he was, to which he will say that he met up with his friends and his mother would believe him because she raised him not to lie to her. But, he did lie to her, and she would never know it because she was deluded into the idea that her son was perfect.

During this time, Aurora would be twisting her body, finding the most odd positions the most comfortable, especially the ones that helped crack some of her bones. Her thoughts would drift to the boy, Allen; the way he smiled and showed her a certain kindness that could only be found in children that haven't seen the world through their eyes, but through their parents. Though, there was a fine line that separated the children who have seen horrible wars and the darkest nights and the children who have seen nothing but their backyard and dreams of becoming what they most desired. However, walking on that line were children who were born into a world that was not ignorant to the bad things, but did not turn away and sneer at the good things.

Aurora remembered that her mother described her as one of those children who walked the line of awareness, as her mother dubbed it. Aurora knew of the world; understood the corruptions and the hypocrisy stirring beneath the layer of Absolute Justice; of the World Government and how the ones with power clawed and destroyed anyone who called them out, declaring upon rooftops that they aren't who they say they are. She knew of the nobles and how they didn't care for the ones below them; knowing that most nobles kept slaves, human beings or fish-people as pets, ordering them and beating them when they didn't do as their master said. It was a cruel world.

Yet, her mother and father taught her of the good in the world; how a lot of people tried and when they failed, got right back up and tried again because their dreams and beliefs were stronger than the words and actions of the bad. She knew of the kindness of some pirates, such as Edward Newgate and Gol D. Rogers; one who became a father for all the fatherless children who didn't know of warmth that came from acceptance, bearing the sins of his sons, but refused for his children to bear his sins; the latter laughing and grinning his way into a lot of people's hearts, aligning himself with them and creating friends and dying with a grin on his face and words that caused a revolution upon his lips. But it wasn't just those two, no, it was anyone who had the heart to care and listen to the cries of the weak and the poor and the ones who have been oppressed all their lives.

Aurora learned from a young age that the world was separated; black and white. But the thing separating the colors from touching was a thin line; it wasn't a grey line, no, her mother would beat her with the Bible if Aurora were to even suggest the possible grey areas of life. There were no grey areas, her mother lectured over and over again when she was young. Even when Aurora questioned her mother about her career of being a Revolutionary, the woman would say, "What makes humans decide what is white and what is black? Only God has the right to judge us, remember that." And she did, repeating the words her mother told her during nights where Aurora would starve for slumber to come, but never coming; the days where the doubts in her heart whispered harshly in her ear; where the nightmares would come and tear at her, telling her that it was her fault.

Over and over again, Aurora would repeat her mother's words, grasping at her heart that she was sure that was going be ripped apart by the very guilt she carried. Most times, her first mate would wake to hear the cries of his captain, listening as she moved out of bed and paced in the confined space of her office. Then, the small padding of her footfalls would stop, the sound of a door opening and closing; it would be at that moment where Jayce would pick himself from his hammock, joining his captain for a cup of skullcap tea, his silent presence comforting her until the morning came. It would be the moment when the clock would chime at 4:00 a.m., starting the day and the light chasing away the darkness hidden beneath her eyelids. She would smile, pat his hand, and thank him, wiping away any remnants of tears, if there were any in the first place. As Samuel clunked his way down the hall, his green eyes tired, he would start breakfast, not asking how the two slept, knowing the answer.

Samuel and Jayce were the only members of the crew that knew of Aurora's insomnia, while the others knew only a minuscule amount about it. It wasn't like they didn't try to dig deeper into their captain's reasoning of not finding sleep easy, she always gave a dismissive answer, ending it with "don't worry about it, it's not that serious" and would continue on with her day, as if they didn't ask her about her coping mechanism of running from the nightmares. Her purpose of not telling the rest of the crew, especially Vabriel, was for them not to worry about her. They saw her as a fun-loving teenager, looking towards her for the decisions, and she thought of doing them a great benevolence of keeping her curse from the ears and eyes of the people she loved; what kind of person would she be if she asked them to help carry the weight she caused herself? Not a very good one, she surmised. So, in the darkest hours of the unforgivable night, where the stars and the moon played her only witness, where there was only silence occupying her, she would lie awake and cry, though not all the time, the pain hacking at her bones, tearing and pulling her apart in a burning glory.

Things such as that, where they were easily concealed behind closed doors, were something not to burden others with, generally the ones who already had a toilsome time managing their own strife. And after having hiding it away for so long, she found herself in a shameful mess when Jayce figured out her secrets, finally barging into her quarters after a hellish terror that plagued her mind and body, her limbs lashing out and muffled whimpers slipping from her lips with strained whispers of "no, no please let me go" tumbling from her mouth in a frenzy. He helped her, caging her in his arms and breathing sweetly into her hair, stroking her head like her mother would do when Aurora would worry too much. And when she finally calmed down, a splitting headache would erupt, similar to that of a volcano, veins arranging themselves on her temple and neck, the aftershock settling in her bones before fading, only to manifest the next night. The two would sneak into the kitchen, Jayce making some skullcap tea, and sitting beside the redhead until morn.

Blinking, Aurora closed her eyes, the stinging sensation behind her eyelids quieting, pushing the thoughts of her crew in the depths of her mind, hoping that they will not stir from their hiding place soon. She heaved a sigh, her troubling thoughts running away from the garish light of daylight, the sun's triumphant gleam bathing her body in it's radiant warmth, caressing her mercifully, the breeze of springtime gently murmuring through her hair, comforting the beaten female. It wouldn't be long until the guardsmen retook their place by her cage, guns loaded and ready to shoot if she made one wrong move. Her eyes, like miniature dawn skies, glimpsed at the base, standing tall and vulnerable, the World Government flag proudly wounding in the wind.

Again, the day was established upon the fact that Aurora was confined in shackles, anchored by a steel cage, and manned by two soldiers, just as the previous four days. And there she waited for the day to end. Slowly, it passed, the air pressure chilling to where it was now matching the hospitality of the Marines and most inhabitants of the Fishnette Village. Sometimes, the redhead would find herself searching for Allen, the boy that brought her food when her stomach was about to eat itself, hoping that he didn't get into trouble and could visit her again tonight; company was always welcomed by Aurora, whether it be adult or child, just as long as the amity was considerate. After a while of sifting the crowd, she saw no sign of the boy, her mood depleting at the rate of the sun, the darkness painting the sky quickly. Like the other days, the Marines left for rest, their laughter making way to the lonesome redhead.

_He probably got in trouble, _she thought, feeling responsible for the boy's delay. Like before, she relaxed her muscles, inclining her head against her arm, the sturdiness rather pleasant, but that could have been because of the sleep deprivation. Her eyes shut, the music of the night echoing, crickets and frogs singing, fireflies acting like spot lights, giving everything a soft glow.

A small, "psst" stirred her from her light nap, her eyes opening to meet a pair of green orbs staring back at her, the scent of food causing a small growl to emit from her stomach. Allen smiled widely at her, one of his teeth missing. "Told you I would come back," he mumbled, bringing the plate closer to the bars, showing grilled eel with soya based sauce, topping the rice underneath. Like the other night, the boy fed the young female, sometimes joking through bites. By the time she finished, Aurora felt satisfied once again, finding that though she may not be fond of his mother, she couldn't deny that the woman was an impeccable cook.

"Thank you." She croaked, her throat dry from not having any sort of refreshments for the past four days.

Allen noticed, scratching the back of his head. "I'll try to get you some water tomorrow."

She shook her head, her three braids swaying at the motion. "About that, you shouldn't come back again, kid."

His eyes widened before narrowing, "Look, if you're worried about me getting in trouble with my mamma—"

"I'm worried that the Marines will figure it out," she interrupted, a stern gaze set on the seven year old. "And I don't know what they will do to you. You're helping a criminal, Allen, that's something that's looked down upon in most places." He tried again, opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the words but falling short. He just ended up looking like a gaping guppy. "It's alright, kid. Believe me, I've been in this situation before and I've gotten out."

"But what if you don't this time?"

She shrugged. "Then, I guess I wasn't suppose to move on from this point."

He stood then, hands wrapped tightly around the bars, knuckles white. "No, you're wrong!" Fiery passion lit his eyes and coated his words heavily. "You're meant for something, everyone is! What makes the Marine's think that they can pick and choose who's wrong?!"

"What makes you think that you know anything of politics?" She shot back, quieting the kid. "What makes you think that you know anything of the world—of what I've done? You don't know anything, but how could you? You're only seven and not yet seen the world."

He was furious, gritting his teeth as tears of frustration pricked at his eyes. "But—!"

She turned from him, her jaw set. "Leave me be, boy."

"Bu—"

"I said leave!" It was the first time she actually raised her voice in some time, startling the seven year old in a silence. She thought about adding something else, but kept her mouth sealed, eyes narrowed into silts as they watched the boy sniff and pick up the plate, putting space in between the redhead and himself. He paused, staring at her, looking like a kicked puppy, his lashes wet from the tears he tried wiping away.

"Fine." The sharpness he tried portraying into his words only came out in small whisper. "I won't come back." He added, wanting her to say something, anything that contradicted the fact that she didn't want him around anymore. She said nothing, just watched him with a cold glare in her normally warm eyes. He turned, trekking back in the comfort of his home and into the arms of his mother where she would bring him into her and pet his head, asking him what was wrong and he would say nothing, just that he and one of his friends fought over something stupid, kissing his mother goodnight and snuggling into the consolation of his covers.

And Aurora would be distracting herself by observing the fireflies; the way they kind've hovered and the soft orange glow of their ends. She smiled when she recalled to the time Lucky Roux accidentally ate a firefly, choking on the poor thing as it traveled up and down his throat. She had laughed then, still finding herself chuckling at the memory of an eight year old her falling to the ground in a fit of giggles as Yasopp attempted to help his friend from being suffocated by a mere bug. When the insect did manage to find the way out, Lucky Roux picked up the chortling child, throwing her up in the air and attacking her sides when catching her, yelling things such as "you think that was funny?" and "I'll give you something to laugh at", Yasopp grinning at the sight, falling into a story about his boy Usopp.

_Those were the days, _Aurora thought, sighing as her eyes found the darkened ocean, her home. She could hear the crashing of the waves upon the shore; it comforted her, lulling her into a much needed slumber. Tomorrow she would escape, but as of right now, she would sleep.

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**Okay, I have a lot of explaining to do. **

**I cannot describe, in words, for how very sorry I am about being MIA for a _long_time. School is not a justification or excuse for how long I did not update this story. I feel awful for abandoning this story and Aurora. I don't know why, but I had a bad case of writers block for this chapter. Every day, I would try to push myself to write this out, but when I did, it wouldn't come out right and I would delete it. After a while, I stopped pushing myself to continue this story and just took a unneeded break from fanfiction. I have no explanation for the reason _why_ I would do that, it's just one of those hard facts that I had actually given up on this story. I can only hope that you guys can forgive me and my unnecessary vacation. **

**Some fun facts about Aurora: **

1). I have completely wiped her clean of the old version. Instead of the soft, seductive model I made before, she is now calloused, conflicting, and (in the future) double-minded.

2). Her looks have also been altered. She was thin and delicate, but now, I envision her to be defined and have a little more meat on her bones, that way, she is more believable in being a battle-hardened fighter.

3). The race/ethnicity and representative nationality of Aurora have been changed from French to a more Germanic approach.

**Other than that, that's pretty much of it of how Aurora has developed from the first version to the present one. And I can only hope that she isn't just a one or two dimensional character—that is the last thing I want her to be. I want her to be realistic, to have thoughts that a real person would have; appropriate feelings for appropriate moments (the occasional inappropriate sentence or feelings, of course). **

**So, to end this winded and long author's note, I will simply say "until next time" and hopefully, it won't be too long. **

**—B.P.**

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**Update 2/24/15: **Okay, so I went back and totally redid the chapter, because when I was writing chapter 2, I felt like I was doing the same thing that was doing when I was writing _Let the Shackles Fall_. I felt like I wasn't putting any emotions into it and so I deleted chapter 2 and went back and re-did this chapter. I can only hope that you guys are more happy with this version than the previous ones. Oh, and the link for what Aurora looks like (well, her face) is on my profile, so if you wanna check it out, you're most welcomed to.


	3. II — Crimson Skies

_Summary: "I'm going to become KING OF THE PIRATES!" Because of making a promise with Luffy ten years ago, Aurora has left her crew in search for the future Pirate King. Though, she half expected to find him floating in a barrel, she's slightly surprised to see that he had already gained crew members, one being an annoying swordsman who swears that he'll be the World's Greatest Swordsman. "You accept people with impossible dreams, huh, Luffy?" Eventual Zoro/OC Rated M_

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II — Crimson Skies

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_"Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning."_

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It has been two days since Aurora has last seen Allen. The lack of company, Aurora noted, kept the young female occupied with thoughts during the night when everyone was at home, safe in their beds and walls of their homes. During that time, she would constantly think of ways to escape—wiggling her wrists until they bled, but finding that the cuffs were too tight and there was no way that she could possibly squeeze her wrists through. She was even amazed at how much she could wring them about in the confining space but couldn't free them. She stood to her full height—well, she would have to hunch her shoulders as she looked closer at the chain that was connected to the cage that kept her locked away. Aurora pulled at the chain with all her strength that she managed for that night, trying to break it. It wasn't surprising to see that she failed to do something that should have been easy.

Collapsing, the redhead thought of how much she wished that she didn't send the only company she had away. The desire to converse with someone began to consume her greedily, the anger from feeling that way squeezing her throat. All in all, she didn't have the right to crave for conversations with people when she was the one to dismiss Allen and his generosity. Besides, if he were to stay, he would have gotten into trouble.

With her head lowered, hair covering her expression, Aurora closed her eyes, bloodied lips forming a silent prayer, hopeful that the soundless words would be heard. Lifting her head, her eyes scanned the red horizon, swallowing the lump in her throat at the rising sun. Stalls and stores began to open, her guards for the day walking towards their post without a word to one another or the pirate. She spotted a single straw hat that was being sold at one of the stalls out of her peripheral, the sight of it causing an uneasy feeling to settle at the bottom of her stomach. Turning her eyes away, the eighteen year old stared off into the growing crowd, wondering if this was the day where she would make her great escape.

As the hours of the early morning passed and an alarm was sounded throughout Fishnette Village, the churning of Aurora's stomach stilled as the scarlet flags and sails wafted through the wind. She licked at her lips, eyes narrowing when a swarm of Marines went to greet the foreigners. Her heart sped, pounding and compressing against her ribcage, her breath leaving her in short, shallow gasps. Adrenaline was rushing through her veins as she looked around her, glancing up at the cuffs bounding her as she desperately tried to find a way out. Her guards paid no mind to their prisoners fight or flight behavior, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get out this mess.

She might as well be dead.

Stilling herself, Aurora clenched her jaw and stopped her struggling, facing the object of her fears as the four foreign soldiers dressed in silver armor, red capes draped over their shoulders, swords beating against their legs marched in her direction. The leader of the small group of soldiers caught her attention when his smug expression came into her view, hazel eyes blazing with triumphant as he gazed at her beaten and hollowed form. His bronze hair was cropped, jaw strong with a hint of stubble, cheekbones low and lips thin and smooth. He was a well polished serviceman, a decorated solider. Going by the battle scars on his arms and face, he has seen many battles. Aurora tensed her muscles, readying her body for a fight.

And by God, Aurora was going to fight.

_So, this is the one that got away, hm?_ The stranger thought to himself, assessing the female's kneeling position on the ground underneath his feet. Seeming to not help himself, he asked, mockingly, "My, have the mighty have fallen, yes?" A scowl echoed her displeasure at his words, causing the man's smirk to widen. "It is a pleasure, Aurora Batavi." He bowed to her, his subordinates copying him.

The redhead took her time to answer, tilting her head to the side, eyes narrowing as her brow rose, unimpressed. "Least one of us is pleased," she replied, face hardening when his reply came in the form of a wider grin. "You know of my name, yet I've no recollection of yours." She meant it as an insult, but the soldier did not display the annoyance he felt.

"I am His Majesty's _right hand,_" mentioning his King caused the young woman to visibly flinch away, practically sneering at the bronze haired male, "Aurelius Lepidus, at your service." He added the last part as a joke before turning to the Marine captain that was in charge of the base here, demanding, "You will bring me her weapons and release her to me." The Marine did not rebuke Aurelius' order, gesturing for the guards beside her cage to let her go. One unlocked the cage while the other came inside and unfastened the cuffs from her wrists, the metal still hanging there as she walked her way out of the cage, subtly using it for help to keep her balance.

Aurelius watched her in fascination. He watched at how her chin jutted out, back straightening, her muscles twitching under her skin. She was the image of pride, dawn-sky eyes raging as she peered up at him. Despite her being shorter than him, she somehow managed to make him feel smaller than he really was for a moment. Aurora Batavi was truly something and Aurelius was beginning to understand why His Majesty was infatuated with the redhead. He gestured for Cassius to come forward and cuff her, her nose crinkling. "For insurance—you understand," Aurelius elaborated.

"Oh, of course," the words rolled off her tongue sarcastically. "You wouldn't want to be bested by a mere girl."

"But you aren't a mere girl, are you?" He had leaned in close, whispering those words to her as he did so. He was aware that she smelled like sweat and blood, the underlining trace of tea she must have had before she was captured a week ago. Her reply came in the form of a confident smirk, one that told so many things and had Aurelius moving away from her. He caught sight of the Marine Captain, holding out her stuff for Aurelius to take. He did and with a wave of his hand, him, Cassius, and his two other soldiers surrounded the pirate, the hazel-eyed man taking the front, two of his lackeys beside her, and the one who shackled her taking up the rear.

Without complaint or struggle, Aurora followed Aurelius, the sounds of her footfalls swallowed by the heaviness of the foreigners' steps. For a moment, she thought that the sight of a pirate being led away by four soldiers must have seemed strange to the bystanders of Fishnette Village. They gossiped, whispers entering their ears before they told the other person beside them and so on and so forth. Phrases like "you see that?", "what's happening?" and "she's doomed, isn't she?"—it shook Aurora to the core, making her realize that once she step aboard that mighty vessel, her fate was sealed.

The redhead was broken from her solemn thoughts when she heard a surprised yell and whoosh of something breaking through the air. Before she knew what happened, something slammed into her, causing the young woman to crash against the dusty ground. Miraculously, she ended up on her knees, eyes narrowed as she sneered at the body not three feet away that had knocked her to the ground. _What a day,_ she thought moodily, picking herself up off the ground. "Nice aim," she commented, rubbing at her forehead. _Damn. It feels like I was hit by a rock._

The redhead turned away in time as the person stood, rubbing their forehead as they picked up their hat, settling it back onto their head. "Sorry 'bout that!" The voice was that of a young boy—slightly high, like a teenager.

"Yeah, whatever." She mumbled, finally turning to glare at the kid full on and pausing, her throat going dry all of a sudden. In front of her stood a scrawny, black haired and eyed boy that was no older than seventeen years with a huge fat grin on his face, pearly teeth glimmering. He was clad in a simple red vest with yellow buttons, blue jean shorts and sandals. He was remarkably ordinary. Nothing about him was special. Overall, he could be lost in the crowd easily. The only distinguishable features about the kid was the scar underneath his left eye and the straw hat that was on top of his head.

Nothing was said—or, nothing could be said before one of her lovely guards grabbed the skin underneath her arm and dragged her away, breaking her from her reverie and causing the young redhead to glare at said foreigner. Forcefully, Aurora jerked her arm out of the man's bruising grip; it was, after all, unnecessary to hold onto someone that tightly. With each step she took away from the oh-so familiar boy, an itch started and she couldn't help to glance over her shoulder as the boy grouped himself up with the rest of his friends. _What if it's him?_ She kept thinking to herself and finally, after (exactly) thirty-two steps Aurora broke from the formation and yelled, "LUFFY!" There was a hush and for a second, Aurora thought herself as foolish when the boy didn't react immediately. A set of hands tore at her shoulders, forcing her backwards. In another last desperate ditch effort, she cried once more, "LUFFY, PLEASE!"

The man that was trying to restrain her turned her around, trying to put Aurora back into the formation so she was surrounded. When he picked her up, she continued to kick at his knees, trying to wiggle out of his grip. Her legs were subdued by other set of burly arms. She slammed the back of her head against the other's face, hearing a crack and knowing that she broke the unexpected guard's nose.

Quite suddenly, there weren't two men trying to smother her actions. The cold ground met her backside, her breath leaving her when she saw that a nicely dressed blonde was standing above her, holding out his hand to her. Without really thinking, she took it, pushing herself off the ground before she removed her hand from the man's. Her eyes widened at the scene before her. All four of the guards were laying on the ground unconscious in various degrees of pain. She walked over to where Aurelius was and grabbed her stuff (as well as the key to her cuffs), smirking at the limp form of the right hand of His Majesty as she unlocked the cuffs from her wrists, letting them drop on the unconscious man.

"My, how the mighty have fallen, yes?" She asked his prone body mockingly, straightening herself out as she turned, her eyes landing on the dark haired boy, her face stretching uncomfortably into a smile as she approached him, circling her arms around his neck and torso as he did the same to her. "Silly li'l boy," she whispered against the side of his head.

Both pulled from the hug and Aurora was hit with a great urge to laugh at Luffy's gleaming face. "I barely recognized you, Rory!"

"I'll take that as a compliment," her voice cracked as she buckled her weapons belt back around her hips. Before she could say anymore, a hand grasped hers unexpectedly. The redhead turned, looking down at the blonde that was holding her appendage like it was some delicate piece of porcelain.

"My name is Sanji and if I may be so bold, milady," he spoke, his head bowed before he looked up at her sincerely, "but I have never had the grace to lay my eyes upon a creature as unearthly as you. May I know your name?"

She rose a brow, slowly retracting her hand from his. "Uhh, Aurora." The redhead was never one for affections—in fact, she believed herself to be asexual. So, for this man to show such blatant fondness, especially in public, had the young eighteen year old recoiling from the blonde. The last man who showed her care revealed to be nothing more than an obsessive miscreant. Aurora watched as his expression dropped when she stepped away from him, stuffing her hands in her pockets before she turned her attention back to Luffy. "For a second there, I thought I was a goner," she smiled kindly at the younger male.

"Speaking of which, who were those men?" A voice sounded from behind her. Aurora looked over her shoulder to see that green haired swordsman giving her a suspicious gaze. She battled it with her own raised brow.

"Just some lackeys of a guy that I pissed off." She's said the line so many times that it's become her natural answer. It might have been warped and not the whole truth and an immature statement taken out of context, but people normally didn't ask anymore questions because most of the time her tone had them thinking twice before they ultimately decided against it. The swordsman matched her raised brow with his own, his eyes hard as he regarded her. He didn't trust her—not one bit. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name?" She tried to keep her tone polite just like that old hag taught her, but she couldn't help the sarcasm that slid into her words slightly.

The green haired male crossed his arms over his chest, trying not to show his vexation. "Roronoa Zoro."

Her brows furrowed. "The bounty hunter?" She smirked then. "Hm. So the bounty hunter has become the bounty of which he did hunt—oh, Luffy, congratulations, by the way." Aurora pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment from her back pocket, unfolding it and displaying Luffy's grinning face. "Thirty million, aye? Who'd you take down?"

Luffy had to think before answering, his lips puckering. "Some fish dude. I think his name was Aklorng or something like that." He scratched his head.

Aurora cracked a smile at his obliviousness and looked around, her eyes narrowing at the odd and astonished looks of bystanders and the Marines—who seemed torn in helping the soldiers and apprehending the criminals or let them go to get back at the foreigners for some unresolved issue. "I think it's time for us to get out of here." Her gaze landed on the four unconscious soldiers. The Marines seemed to snap out their stupor and readying themselves to battle the four pirates.

Luffy gasped, attaching himself to her hand as he dragged her behind him. "You can finally see my ship!"

"Stop right there!" Came an officer's voice and by the looks of him, he was a captain. "By the order of the World Government and the Royal Court of Boavia, you four are under arrest!"

Aurora narrowed her eyes at the Marine, pulling herself from Luffy and unsheathing her chakrams. "Yeah, I don't think so," she mumbled, lunging unexpectedly at two unsuspecting officers, knocking them onto their asses before slashing at another set. She didn't pay any mind to the boys as they fought their own battles. But by the sound of things, they seemed to be fairing well by themselves. _I don't know how long I can keep this up_, she thought, wincing slightly at the pain from a tear in her lower abdomen. She collided backs with someone and a glance over her shoulder it was Roronoa. "How're you holding up?"

"Better than you," he growled through his katana.

_Well, it's not a lie._ "You're right." She clenched her jaw when another pain shot through her ribs. "We need to get out of here!" Aurora kicked at a Marine's face, turning around and slashing at another in the chest with her chakrams. "You trust me?"

"No."

The redhead snorted, eyes briefly meeting his when he turned. "Too bad—shield me." He didn't argue, somewhat curious as to what she was going to do. She took in a sharp breath inwards, breathing it out slowly through her nose. She whispered something under her breath that he couldn't quite hear, his eyes widening when a black, inky figure started rising out of the ground. It took Roronoa a couple of beats to realize that it was her shadow. Aurora grinned as she sheathed her chakrams to free her hands. In jerky movements that her shadow mimicked, the obscured silhouette lunged at the officers around them, cloaking them in darkness before it retreated, letting the Marines fall to the ground.

The shadow repeated the action to the remaining Marines until all were down for the count. It retreated and sunk down back under Aurora's feet. The redhead let out a tired breath, her shoulders sagging as she fell forwards, meeting a solid arm on her way down that caught her from hitting the equally solid ground. "We need to get out of here, Luffy," came the owner of the arm's voice. "Can you walk?" She peaked through her eyelashes, giving the swordsman a deadpanned expression. Without a word, he threw her over his shoulder like she was nothing more than a sack of potatoes.

She sighed. _If I knew that he was going to do this, I would have forced myself to walk._ Aurora bit her tongue when his shoulder jostled more into her stomach, causing her ribs to ache and internal organs to groan in discomfort. But she refused to let slip one complaint. Roronoa was kind enough to carry her and not leave her there for the Marines and the Römisch soldiers to take back into custody.

Oh, did she mention that while they were making their escape, Sanji yelled profanities at the swordsman for carrying her in such a way? Well, yeah, he did. Aurora was sure he meant well, but the redhead wished that the blonde would just shut up. There was a headache that was blooming in the walls of her membrane and Sanji was only making it worse. And Roronoa was no better. He snapped retorts back faster than a blink of an eye and Aurora had to admit that it would have been entertaining if not for the fatigue that weighed heavily on her shoulders.

Turns out, Luffy and his crew had found out that Fishnette Village was a Marine based village and decided that it was their safest bet to port behind the rocky hills of the island, knowing the Marines wouldn't be able to spot them. It was a grand idea, Aurora noted as she was set back on her feet, none too gently, she might add. Aurora rested her hands on her knees, trying to regain her balance and keep herself from throwing up. From the lack of sustenance over the last few days and using the last of her energy to knock those stupid Marines out made her dizzy and lethargic, her movements slow as she followed Luffy up the ladder of the ship—which was named the Going Merry.

It was a cute ship and it seemed that the crew held it in a very high regard.

When Aurora was finally standing on the deck of the ship, she found that she couldn't stand any longer. She collapsed on her butt, letting her head hang low in between her knees. The redhead could fall asleep right now.

"Who the hell is she?!" Aurora looked up at the screeching voice, raising a brow at the carrot top that was pointing a dainty finger in her direction while her brown eyes stayed on Luffy, Sanji and Roronoa.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" The carrot top turned her glower on the strange redhead and the two fiery women stayed silent for a long minute, just glaring at one another. Aurora smirked, picking herself up off the deck. "Aurora, nice to meet you…?"

The orange haired girl studied the red haired female for a beat before, "Nami."

"You got a doctor on this ship, Nami?"

Aurora was surprised when Nami shook her head from side to side. "But we do have an infirmary." Nami led Aurora to the small, but efficient infirmary.

"Can you tell me as to why, as a crew, you haven't recruited a doctor yet?" Aurora asked as she raided the cabinets, looking for some disinfectant and gauze. Unexpectedly, she pulled off her shirt, looking over the crappy handling of her wounds she obtained from being captured by the Marines. As she unwrapped the gauze on her bullet wound, Aurora glanced at Nami, finding that her brown eyes were wide and focused on the redhead's marred torso. "You alright there, Nami?" Aurora wasn't new to the stupefied stare, but being use to something didn't mean she was comfortable to it.

Nami snapped out of her surprise, brown orbs meeting Aurora's miniature dawn skies and blushed in embarrassment of being caught gaping at the past and present wounds on the redhead's body. She watched as Aurora poured some disinfectant on a rag, and winced when the eighteen year old dabbed the rag on the bullet wound. Despite the fact that Nami flinched, she noted that Aurora did not. "It's not as bad as it looks," reassured the stranger with weird eyes and crimson hair. "I've had worse." Then she gave Nami a grin that reminded her so much of Luffy that it had the carrot top's brows rising to her hairline.

Aurora continued in her search for medical supplies as she rifled through the cabinets, somehow finding a needle and thread. "You squeamish?" She asked when she started to ease the string through the needle, giving the other female a look.

"If you mean about blood, no. If you mean about sowing that wound, yes." Nami paused before continuing, "Sanji can help you with the stitching, if you want?"

"That'd be great, Nami, thank you." The young woman left Aurora and after a few moments, Sanji came through the door, his face serious as his eye roved over her tattered form.

"I don't know much about injuries, but I've dressed my fair share of them back on the _Baratie_," he grabbed the needle from her and began stitching up the bullet hole. He must have guessed by the irritation that someone had already pulled out the bullet. His hands were warm and steady as they sealed up the wound before he cleaned it again with the rag. He unwrapped another piece of gauze from her body, revealing a long and infected gash made from a blade.

"You worked on the _Baratie_? So, that means you know Zeff."

Sanji seemed surprised, but nodded nonetheless. "Yeah, he was my mentor, for the lack of a better term. I owe him my life." Aurora snorted and the blonde continued, finding comfort in her presence, "He let me go to chase my dream."

"What is your dream?"

The smoker looked at the redhead, finding that she was truly curious and willing to listen to him. She reminded him of Luffy—a more patient and womanly version of Luffy. With that thought in mind, Sanji breathed, "To find the All Blue."

She gave him a nod, her eyes twinkling the same way Luffy's did when he had told the younger boy the same thing. "That's a big dream, Sanji, but not impossible."

Sanji chuckled and shook his head. "What's your dream, Aurora-hime?"

He could feel her tense under his fingers and a glance at her face had him regretting his question. But then her face relaxed, looking so much younger and like the eighteen year old she was. "To be free," she told him simply and her tone caused the blonde to keep himself from making any other conversation. Aurora was unlike any woman he had ever met. She had an authoritative presence that was just as equally warm and considerate. He felt like he could tell her his whole life story, but that didn't mean that she would tell him hers.

She was like a mom, he noted. Children grow up knowing their mothers their whole lives (in normal circumstances), but mother's only start knowing their children for a portion of their life. What children don't understand is that a mother had a life before them—a life which she may keep secret until the appropriate moment. Aurora had a past, from the scars that littered her torso, and she's not willing to share it anytime soon.

She had hissed between her clenched teeth when the pads of his fingers made contact with the laceration. "Sorry," he muttered, again grabbing the rag and washing it out, cleaning the wound with water before he would disinfect it. The good news was that the slash wasn't as infected as it looked. Really, it just looked so bad because of the scabbing. Before long, the wound was cleaned and sewn shut.

Aurora looked at Sanji, giving him a small polite smile. "Thank you," she said, pulling away from him and putting her shirt back on. It was a white cotton button down—one of her favorites. Maybe when this was all over, she'll have time to bleach it out and get rid of the stains. They both walked out of the infirmary, Aurora immediately making a beeline for Luffy, who was being screeched at by a dark skinned boy with a long nose.

"—she looks like trouble!—" was all she heard before Luffy caught sight of her and grinned brilliantly, ignoring the other boys words as he met her halfway.

The two embraced one another once more, Luffy holding on to her as tightly as he could. As if he was afraid of letting her go. It hurt her ribs but she didn't mind. She was sure that she was crushing his neck. The contact brought both comfort and warmth after being apart for ten years. They were finally back together. Just like he said; just like she swore. When they pulled from each other, Luffy's grin was threatening to split his face in two and Aurora was smirking softly.

A boom of a cannon filtered the air and startled the crew, Aurora's eyes widening at the sound. Looking up towards the sky, they all saw a red flare bursting through the heavens.

* * *

**YAY I'm back~! **

**I know I've been a complete douchebag, but I just haven't had anytime, considering the fact that this is my senior year of high school and I have filled 100 buckets with stress. But hopefully I'll be able to get back into the swing of things. **

**I'm going back and editing chapters 2-4 (but I'm sure you guys have already figured it out). **

**Anyways, thank you guys for reading. **


	4. III — Reaper

_Summary: "I'm going to become KING OF THE PIRATES!" Because of making a promise with Luffy ten years ago, Aurora has left her crew in search for the future Pirate King. Though, she half expected to find him floating in a barrel, she's slightly surprised to see that he had already gained crew members, one being an annoying swordsman who swears that he'll be the World's Greatest Swordsman. "You accept people with impossible dreams, huh, Luffy?" Eventual Zoro/OC Rated M_

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III — Reaper

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_"As you sow, so shall you reap."_

* * *

Aurelius grinned at the sight of the villagers cowering in fear. He knew he was a sick bastard for feeling satisfied at the look of pure, and unadulterated dread that hung over the village. He knew, but he also knew that this was a perfect way to lure the redhead back to him. If there was one thing that he knew about Aurora, it was that she wasn't heartless. She would come back to help out the village; she would put her life on the line to save the very people who could care less about her. The thought made him smirk as his hazel eyes moved down the line, studying the faces of the young and old and middle-aged. Her efforts to save these peasants will all be in vain.

"Sir!" Aurelius looked towards the soldier who came towards him, a steely expression on his face as Cassius stood by his side quietly. The right hand man rose a brow, prompting the other male to continue. "She's escaping with those pirates!" He had gestured behind him, to the sea, and it was true. The ship was clear as day, and Aurelius could see a head of red hair. She was waiting for them to go after her, but he knew better. "Should we go after her, sir?"

"No," came Aurelius' simple answer, turning from the small ship, and focusing on the three Marines coming his way, two of them hauling a kicking child. "What's this then?"

The Marine stared steadily at the foreigner before answering in a strong voice, "This boy was responsible for feeding the prisoner, sir."

"Lemme go!" The boy wailed, trying his hardest to break from the grip of the two Marines. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"On the contrary," Aurelius rumbled, bending down to be eye-level with the young lad, "associating yourself with a pirate is punishable by death." Allen stared fearfully up at the soldier, recoiling away from him. The Marines shared gazes of uncertainty, wondering what Aurelius had in store. They silently prayed that they wouldn't be killing a little boy. Aurelius grabbed Allen by the scruff of his shirt, hauling him into the air with little hinderance. He turned, facing the ship that was sailing slowly into the horizon, making his threat clear. The bronze haired man knew Aurora was watching—he knew she will come.

Turning back to the Marine captain, Aurelius threw the boy to him, sending a shiver down the other man's spine as Aurelius smirked cruelly. "Lock him up." And with a flurry of his red cape, Aurelius marched off.

* * *

_No… _Aurora thought, horrified at the fact that Allen was now in the custody, and under the watchful eye of the king's right hand. Her heart thrummed painfully within her ribcage, causing a grimace to appear on her face. The young woman narrowed her eyes through her goggles determinedly. She turned on her heel, marching away from the side, and stopped at the helm, thinking over her plan momentarily. "Luffy," said teenager looked over at the redhead, a frown planted firmly on his face, "whatever happens, keep sailing."

"Rory—?"

Before any debates had the chance to bloom, Aurora had turned back towards Fishnette Village in a full sprint, jumping overboard, and diving into the ocean. Her aching muscles protested from the strain she was putting them under, but the redhead didn't quite care at the moment. In fact, she reminded herself that she's been through worse—that this wasn't even the brunt of her training with the old hag. Bearing through the ache, Aurora pushed herself to the surface. Taking a breath, she dived back into the water, swimming as fast as she could back to the shore of Fishnette Village. With the help of her goggles, she wasn't navigating through the sea blindly. Coming up for another breath of air, Aurora found that she wasn't far from the shore and forced herself a few more feet before her own came in contact with the loose sand. Striding the rest of the way, Aurora pushed her goggles on top of her head.

A low grumble rumbled within her chest when she saw that Aurelius was waiting for her, sitting comfortably on a rock. He nodded towards her, standing, and meeting her halfway. The two stood inches apart; if she wanted to, Aurora could have planted her palm flat against his chest plate. But, of course, she didn't. Instead, she glared heatedly at the man, pushing away the conscious thought of her clothes bearing down on her in a confining way. Habitually, she let her hands rest on her pair of chakrams, keeping an eye on his own hands. Currently, they were hanging loosely at his side, undaunted by the look in her sunrise orbs.

"I see you're not above playing dirty," she commented nonchalantly, letting her eyes land on the villagers before they shifted back to the culprit.

To his credit, he wasn't stunted or angry at her remark. Instead, he seemed to be proud of himself; he even went as far as puffing out his chest a little. "My objective is to capture you—the how is open to interpretation." Then he quickly added, "You don't have any room to talk, _pirate_."

The corners of her lips tugged upwards. "How 'bout a deal then, aye?" She got a raised brow as a way to continue. "I come with you, and you let these villagers go."

Now both his brows were brushing his hairline. "That so?"

Aurora nodded, letting her hands fall idly to her side. She let her eyes move behind him, upwards, to the side before gazing back at the hazel eyed male. "Yeah. It is so." To show her compliance, she unbuckled her weapons belt, handing it to the man. He was surprised, unable to fully comprehend what was happening. He grasp the leather, unprepared for the fist that sailed straight into his jaw. He stumbled back, catching himself, and staring at the redhead in an offended manner. She smirked, unsheathing her ebony claymore. "But first, you have to beat me." She buckled her belt back around her waist.

Aurelius narrowed his eyes, a cruel expression falling onto his face. He drew his own weapon; a modified gladius glinted menacingly against the evening sun. "You think that this flimsy endeavor will save yourself?"

Instead of answering, the redhead chose her moment to swing her claymore towards the male's neck. He dodged, bringing his own blade up to parry another strike. He withheld his shock at her display of raw strength, pushing back instead. It proved to be difficult. The eighteen year old showed an impeccable ability of power and resistance. Despite the fact that she was barely fed, and her wounds weren't treated up until now, Aurora was able to hold her own. Aurelius wondered what it would be like to fight her when she was at her full potential. He lost focus for a moment, not seeing the way her hand went to her belt, and snatched one of her chakrams, swinging at his midsection.

He had jumped back in time, breathing harshly through his nose. He looked down at his armored body, noting the scratch her weapon had made. She smirked, twirling the chakram between her fingers. Aurelius scowled, readjusting his grip on his gladius. Her expression grew, causing a growl to erupt from his chest. He charged forward, blade poised for a strike. Aurora ran to meet him, dodging under his arm, and slashing her claymore at his back. Somehow, she managed to catch him where his armor breaks, blood spouting from the wound she created. Both straightened, facing one another again.

With a chakram in one hand, and a claymore in another, Aurora bolted from the beach, heading for the more stable form of the cobblestoned streets. Aurelius, as predicted, followed. He was hot on her heels, grinning from the adrenaline pumping through his veins, and not paying any mind to the gaping bystanders. She rounded a corner fifteen seconds before him, and when he rounded the same corner, he found the alley to be empty. There was no redhead in sight. His eyes narrowed before looking up. There was still no sight of her, and with his haunches up, he was ready to cut her down (enough to only incapacitate her, of course). The further he walked, the darker it got, and Aurelius grew more frustrated.

_Where is she? _His thoughts screamed as his instincts told him _on your right-right-rIGHT-RIGHT _but there was nothing there! Still, the more he stared at the spot where his gut was telling him to look, the angrier Aurelius grew. He turned from the spot, scrutinizing the rest of the alley in a quick manner. He looked upwards, wondering if she was up on the roof? But, why was his senses telling him to look _behind-behind-BEHIND-YOU-IDIOT _and somehow he managed to block an unnecessarily sharp claymore. _I knew it! _

Aurora made a thoughtful hum in her throat, sunrise eyes glinting intelligently. Not many people could feel that attack. In fact, it had taken her years to do something of that feat, but this man was able to _know_ where she was; least that gave her some sort of idea of how he fought. Aurora grinned inwardly; she had hoped that Aurelius would prove to be a challenge. "Bravo," she said, her muscles again screaming to be loosened from their position. Like before, she ignored their wails, and focused solely on the hazel eyed man. "How'd you know?"

With a burst of strength, Aurelius managed to push Aurora back, shoving her into a brick wall. She huffed, narrowing her eyes when he leaned in. "You have an imposing presence." Was his simple answer, and the redhead laughed.

She broke from the impasse by using the wall as leverage, and bringing her foot up to his chest, kicking him back. They both paused to take a breath before Aurora swung her arm to the side, her shadow surging into his side and casting him out of the alley. Aurora followed, lunging at him. He blocked her attack, having recovered from the startling assault. With renewed vigor, both met each other; blow for blow. Swipe for swipe. Aurora leaned back, the tip of her nose catching the edge of the gladius. Clenching her teeth, she backed away, and sheathed her chakram, finding that it was nothing but a hindrance as of now.

She wiped away at the new cut on her nose, throwing the smug man a dry glare. Jumping back into the fray, the two clashed. It seemed that Aurelius had the upper hand when it came to constant strength, but Aurora's anger was raw, and it showed as she pushed back. She shifted her stance then, forcing Aurelius to back away. She jabbed her sword towards his neck. A thin trail of blood appeared on his collarbone instead. The redhead stepped back, giving him some space.

Aurelius clapped a hand on the small wound, his heart beating fast when he thought about how close her claymore had come to at separating his head from the rest of his body. Frowning, Aurelius stared down at the female, wondering what was going through her head. He saw that her chest was heaving, collapsing in on itself every time she exhaled; if this went on any longer, she'll end up running out the nutrients her body was able to hold on to. It might be dangerous, fighting her for this long; there could be a chance where she could die, and Aurelius needed her alive. But there was no other way. She was too stubborn for her own good.

"You're too weak," Aurelius commented, and he was right. Her posture was crumpling, her stance in shambles; the only way she was going to win was if she ended it now. "You might have a few tricks up your sleeve, but they won't last long."

Aurora gave him a hard and long look. Finally, after a moment of silence, she crouched lower to the ground, holding her heavy blade diagonally to where the tip kissed the cobblestone. "Haven't you heard that you should never underestimate a Batavi's ire?"

Their was a pause and everything was quiet. The only thing Aurora could make out was the sound of her blood pumping through her veins. Then, Aurelius shifted, and Aurora followed.

* * *

"Rory!" Luffy called after the redhead, stretching his arms to catch her. He was too little, too late when she hit the ocean with a splash. The captain's limbs snapped back to his body immediately. He and the rest watched as she came up for air (in awe of how much distance she gained) before losing sight of her again when she dived. Luffy's initial reaction was to turn the ship around and go after her. But her words echoed in the back of his mind. Truthfully, no matter what a person said, Luffy would still do what he needed to do, but the way Rory had said it caused an interruption in Luffy. It was the same kind of respite he felt that day he told her he was going to be the Pirate King, and there was nothing, or no one that was going to stand in his way.

There was something in her voice that told him to consider his options. Now, he knew what kind of person Rory was; she wasn't like Shanks (which surprised him when he found out that the two were father and daughter since the two acted nothing alike). Sure, they were both stubborn, and would do almost anything for a friend, but the way they got things done were different. Unlike her father, Rory liked to do things by herself. She had too much pride to let others into her affairs. The redhead thought that she didn't need to depend on anyone—no matter how close that person might be; there was just no way that the one she was close to would be able to fight a battle she was facing. If this was any other situation, Luffy would have gone with his first instinct and followed after her.

_"Luffy, whatever happens, keep sailing." _

Her voice—there was something about her voice that caused this suspension. It almost sounded like she was giving up, but that's impossible! For Aurora to give up on anything would mean that the world was ending! "Aurora giving up" didn't go together in the same sentence unless there was a "isn't" in between. Yet, there was something else—something that he couldn't place. But it was powerful enough to cause Luffy to actually think about what his next coarse of action will be.

"Luffy?" He looked at his navigator, seeing the apprehension in her brown orbs. She may not be nervous for the redhead, but she was anxious for him. It was uncomfortable seeing her captain like this; it wasn't like Luffy to contemplate on something. He just did whatever popped in his head first; action now, question later (or in Luffy's case, action and then eat all the meat he could get his hands on).

A determined frown appeared under the brim of his straw hat as he gazed back at the island. He could see Rory's red hair, and another silhouette, but that was it. He couldn't hear what was being transpired. He couldn't see their facial expressions. He couldn't even see their body language. So, instead of fully going through what Rory had told him to do, he compromised. "We wait."

Everyone was surprised when the words left Luffy's lips, having not expected that sort of reaction. From past experiences, they assumed that they would be readying for another battle. Color them shock when they realized that wasn't going to happen. Zoro was the first one to recover, walking over to the anchor, and lowering it into the water. His eyes were glued to the village as well, following the female's movements when they disappeared into the town. Even though he didn't trust the woman, Luffy did, and that was all that really mattered. Plus, she wasn't asking them for help, so she was pretty confident in her abilities, or just arrogant. Either way, if it meant that his friends weren't in any danger, Zoro didn't necessarily care. _But Luffy does, _was the thought that clawed at the back his mind; Zoro refused to imagine what his captain would be like if the redhead were to die.

Usopp, although he wouldn't like to admit it, was worried about the female. Sure, she wasn't part of the crew, but Luffy cared enough about her like he did with the rest of them. Usopp couldn't help but think how long they've known each other for Luffy to actually consider her words and not run after her. And sure, she was scary looking, what with the resting bitch face and all, but she really didn't cause him fear. And dismissing the fact that she could probably break him in half (because wow, even though she was wiry, she packed nothing but toned muscles), she didn't seem interested in causing the crew any grief. Heck, she even went off on her own, basically having told Luffy to keep away. That counted for something in Usopp's book, even if it wasn't entirely good. The sniper just hoped that the redhead did make it out of battle alive—for a friend's sake.

Sanji, for the most part, was undeniably irritated that they wouldn't go to shore to help a lady, but it wasn't his call. Still, it bugged him. It didn't help that Aurora was malnourished and injured. Sure, he was able to stitch up the worse of it, but that didn't mean that she was ready to fight at her full capacity. He also knew what could happen when someone didn't get the right amount of nutrients in their body, and that only caused his displeasure to worsen. He was a chef, dammit! And as a chef, he swore to never let a person starve—never! To see the inadequate state her body had been in, to see the bags under her eyes was bad, but it was worse since the person was a lady. A woman, no matter how big or small, should never go through that. Someone had to be of the devil to do that.

* * *

Aurora fell, dropping her weapon as her back met the stone harshly. Aurelius wasted no time in pinning her down, his boot shoving into her chest. She coughed, wheezing as she tried catching her breath. Wincing, she looked up at the hazel-eyed male, trying to muster up the best glare she could while under his boot (literally).

Aurelius gave her a superior gaze, letting his gladius rest on her cheek. "What was that about a Batavi's ire?" He learned more weight on the foot crushing her chest, watching in satisfaction to see her flinch. His blade dug deeper into her cheek, drawing blood. "You've lost, Aurora," he drawled, struggling to catch his own breath.

She narrowed her eyes at the sound of his voice forming her name. He didn't have the right to say her name so blatantly. "You disrespectful son—AH!" Aurora cried out when Aurelius lifted his foot and slammed it back into her chest. She swore she heard some sort of crack, and her lungs were already struggling enough without him making it worse. Grinding her molars together, the redhead squinted through her lashes, swallowing back the burning sensation behind her eyes. Her fingers scrapped at the cold stone beneath her, trying to anchor herself as best as she could.

"What were you saying?!" Aurelius' voice echoed, bouncing off the buildings and stone. He dug the tip of his foot further into her chest, grinding his soles into her body. This was no longer a game or a challenge of wits. This was pure, unadulterated rage coursing through his veins. He was tired and frustrated from having to deal with such a cumbersome girl. "You insufferable wen—!"

By some divine intervention, Aurora was able to find some strength from the depths of her body, focusing all of her energy on her shadow. It was a vexing process, what with her will to keep fighting dwindling, and the fact that she was battling off the edges of unconsciousness. Envisioning what she needed her shadow to do the best she could, she sucked in a deep breath when the weight was lifted from her chest. Picking herself up as fast as she could, the redhead grabbed the hilt of her claymore once more, and turned back to her opponent. Once her eyes made contact with his body again, her shadow retreated back under her feet, letting the man fall limp to the ground.

He groaned, rubbing the back of his head momentarily, feeling a damp patch. If there was another thing that surprised Aurelius, it would be the fact that Aurora had more fight in her than she let on. With more reluctance than he liked to think about, Aurelius drew himself back on his feet, gladius gripped tightly in his hand. He tried controlling his breathing, but the more he fought, and the more he had to stare at the girl, the more livid he felt. This fight should have ended seconds after it started. If it wasn't for her evasive technique and trickery, they would be on a ship heading back to Boavia. Instead, he was having to fight this intolerable bitch His Majesty was so enamored with.

Aurora coughed, one hand coming up to grab at her chest. Least there was one thing Aurelius could get some satisfaction from; he hoped he at least cracked her breastbone, or a rib (ribs would be better, he noted). He watched her flinch with each cough as blood dripped from her mouth. She wiped it away quickly, pinning him with a steely and resolved gaze. A itch crawled up his spine, and the hair on his arms prickled at the look. It made him feel like he was facing down the Reaper, and he didn't like it one bit. Aurelius snarled, running at the redhead, and prepared for the (hopefully, final) strike.

Aurora met him with one of her own, shifting her weight forward. Strangely, her arms were firm and unmoving. It unsettled Aurelius that she wasn't shaking from the pressure he was putting on his end. Instead, she was silent, pushing back with as much force as she possibly could. Her eyes pierced straight through him, making some statement that he couldn't quite make out, but it still caused him to cry out in anger, breaking their deadlock and swiping at her stomach. She didn't move out of the way in time, suppressing the grimace when the blade cut through her skin like a butterknife slicing butter.

Well. It was official. There was no salvaging this shirt after this whole ordeal was finished. _Dammit, _she thought, the corners of her mouth pulling downward as she tried distracting her mind off the pain, _this was my favorite shirt. Now, I have to find another one. _She blocked another strike from the soldier, focusing on the way he shifted his feet, noting how he used his reserves, learning the way he used his weapon overall. She found that instead of using his sword as an extension of his arm, he used it more as a tool. Another thing was that he relied more on his upper body, not paying much attention to his feet. Whoever taught him how to use a blade must have been drunk, or not taught well themselves. It was a sad fact since Aurelius had a lot of potential.

When she was sure that their blades would meet in another stalemate, Aurora surged under the gladius, impaling through the space of his armor, aiming upwards. Aurelius' movements stopped, his eyes wide. The grasp on his gladius loosened, clattering to the ground. He coughed, blood spilling from his lips. Aurora didn't even flinch when some of it landed on her face, twisting her claymore a bit, succeeding in eliciting a whimper like cry of pain from the male. His body slumped, and Aurora let him, his forehead meeting her shoulder. She could feel his body shake a bit, and it took her a moment to realize that he was chuckling. Letting her eyes roam the side profile that was presented to her, a chord of pity played for him. It didn't have to come to this; both of them knew it, but they were too stubborn for their own good.

"N-Now," came his raspy voice, echoing in her ear, "I know…" He paused, a terrible hack racking his body, and leaving Aurora to support him fully. "You truly are… a w-wonder to-ah… beho-old." After struggling a little too much for oxygen, Aurelius finally closed his eyes, exhaling.

Aurora unsheathed her claymore from his body, pushing him off of her. She withheld from wincing at the sound of hearing him rattle to the cobblestone. The eighteen year old sighed, brushing a hand through her hair. _A nap sounds good right now, _she let her eyes close at the tantalizing thought. It would be nice to sleep for at least some hours. But she wasn't done yet. Speaking of which…

The redhead turned her head, catching the pale gaze of the right hand's right hand. Cassius stood there silently, holding a dagger to Allen's throat. Aurora narrowed her eyes at the sight, but chose not to make any sudden moves. She didn't know how this one operated, but she did know that he had put the ruse that he was under Aurelius' command. Her eyes fell onto Allen's expression, taking in his tear streaked face and runny nose. He stared at her, his bottom lip stuck between his teeth as he tried to be brave.

"Color me shock," Aurora drawled sarcastically, making eye contact with Cassius once again. His face held a hint of smugness, but he didn't say anything. In fact, he chose to press the sharp dagger deeper into Allen's throat, drawing a thin trail of blood. Red threatened to take her at the corner of her eyes as rage licked her spine and stomach. Oh, that was he was going to play it, huh? _Fine. _Sheathing her blade back into her belt, the young woman breathed in deeply, letting the soft wind tussle her hair. The three trinkets in her braids _clanked_ together, calming her nerves somewhat.

She walked toward Cassius and Allen, hesitating when the bright eyed man dug the blade deeper. Allen whimpered pitifully at the hot sensation crawling up and down his neck. "Let him go," Aurora growled.

Cassius rose a brow mockingly. "Or what? You'll kill me?"

Allen gulped when a shadow fell on her face. "Yes."

* * *

"What the hell is that?!" Usopp screeched, wide and terrified eyes on the dark dome that engulfed the island. Everyone (sans Luffy) was shocked at the turn of events, not expecting such a phenomenon to happen. This was at the top of the list of the strangest things they have encountered since entering the Grand Line.

Luffy, on the other hand, was outraged at the fact that Aurora was pushed this far. He knew that Aurora must be on her last leg for her to do something this drastic with her ability. From what she told him when they were younger, it was like ripping and sewing her insides back together when using her shadow. For her to put herself in that much pain… something must have transpired to drive herself to this point. It hurt him to know that she was doing this to herself. To know she was already hurt beforehand was painful for him, even though he tried masking it by showing the happiness that was seeing his friend again after such a long period of time apart. It was unpleasant to know that she had put on a brave face just for his sake; just so he didn't have to worry, or put himself in trouble while trying to get retribution for her.

"We have to turn around!" He yelled, restraining his anger to a simmer. "We have to get Rory!"

His crew wasted no time in doing as they were told, each going to their stations to turn back to Fishnette Village. _I'm coming, Rory! _

By the time they reached the dock, the dome had dispersed, revealing either dead or unconscious bodies strewn all over the cobblestoned streets of the small village. It was a discerning sight to witness. It had the crew guts' twisting uncomfortable. They all wondered if it was a good idea to retrieve the redhead; to them, this spectacle wasn't the best impression. It left all of them (except Luffy) with a bad taste in their mouths. Luffy wasted no time in jumping off of Merry, and running into town, screaming for the redhead. The others followed, hanging back to survey the damage Aurora had undoubtedly caused.

Nami was able to gather her courage and stalk to one of the bodies of an inhabitant, bending down, and placing two fingers on the man's neck. She was relieved when she found that the man was still alive before moving to the woman beside him. It seemed that the villagers seemed safe from the redhead's strange ability. Her brown eyes then went to a nearby soldier, biting the inside of her cheek when she pressed her fingers to his own neck. She quickly recoiled when he showed no signs of a pulse. In fact, the closer she looked at him, the more details that seemed wrong. He was deathly pale—almost grey. She also noticed something strange—something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"Their shadows are gone." Came Zoro's gruff voice, pulling everyone's attention to him. They all looked surprised, dread pooling at the pit of their stomachs. Name bit her lip, Usopp's knees knocked together, Sanji sucked in a deep breath of nicotine, and Zoro's frown deepened. He knew they were all thinking the same thing, but none of them wanted to address it; what kind of human had this sort of power without the help of a Devil Fruit?

* * *

Luffy found Aurora lying on the ground, her body coiled up. He ran to her, his teeth gnashing together to keep himself from going on a rampage. "Rory?" He grabbed her shoulder, turning her on her back. She groaned, face scrunching up in obvious torment. Sweat formed at her brow, running down the side of her face. Her arms tightened around her midsection, letting out another rasp. "Wake up, Rory!" He didn't know what to do, and he hated it. He wasn't a doctor, so he couldn't take away her pain.

Her eyes squinted open, unfocused, but she really didn't need to see who was above her. She already had a good guess of who the person was. "I thought I told you to keep sailing," she managed to squeeze between her teeth.

"I wasn't leaving you behind!"

"Ugh, inside voice, Luffs," she chastised, scrunching her nose and brows, trying to shut out the ache in her head and body. She tried sitting up, but couldn't find the strength to do so. Luffy saw this, and helped her, wounding his arms behind her back and lifting her up in an upward position. She tried hiding the wince, but she knew Luffy saw it. Instead of paying attention to the thunderous expression on his face, Aurora looked to pressing a hand to the new wound on her abdomen. It was truly a shame that this shirt was ruined beyond fixing. Without saying a word, Luffy slung one of her arms across his shoulders, helping her to her feet. She swayed, but with his help, Aurora was able to remain in an upright stance.

She gave him a small smile of thanks, knocking her forehead against his own softly. Luffy, seeing her expression, calmed and gave her blinding grin back. It soothed her, seeing the smile, and she let her eyes close for a moment. Even though she didn't say it, she was grateful that he decided to stay, even going as far as coming to her aide. After all this time, she was glad that he treated her as if ten years were just yesterday.

"Ow," came Allen's little voice, and Aurora opened her eyes to see the small boy rise to where he was sitting, rubbing at the headache that erupted through his head. When his eyes caught glimpse of the man who threatened his life, Allen scrambled to his feet, backing away as far as he could.

"Allen?" He shrieked, turning around and flinching at the sight of the redhead. "Are you okay?" If she saw the fear in his eyes or stance, she didn't make note of it. However, her concern turned to the cut on his neck, noticing that it wasn't deep, and it wouldn't need any stitches.

As if reading her mind, Allen's hand came up to cover the wound. "Y-Yeah. A-At least, I-I think s-so." He made sure to keep his distance from the young woman and her companion. He couldn't quite forget the look on her face when she made her move. He couldn't erase the murderous expression, or the glint of coldness hidden behind her eyes that seemed a little too warm. It left a chill in the air, and a funny taste of bitterness in his throat.

"That's a relief." Aurora didn't comment on the way he moved away when she and Luffy started walking. If there was one thing the redhead desired at the moment, it was some food, and a nice, long nap. _Or maybe a nice, long nap, and then food. _Either way, it would satisfy her needs. Luffy supported her all the way as they shuffled back to the Going Merry. They saw the rest of the crew, ignoring their strange looks. Aurora hunched her shoulders, shielding herself physically from the brunt of their glares. Luffy's grip tightened around her middle, letting her know that he was there, and he would always be there if and when she needed him. Blinking back the burning sensation behind her eyes, Aurora rested her head against the familiar texture of the worn straw hat. Somehow, she was able to find comfort in a small thing such as a simple hat.

_Thank you, Luffy._

* * *

**And here it is. The third chapter of Sail Away With Me. I know that most of you want to kill me, which is completely understandable. I completely went off radar for a long time, didn't I? Around 7 months or so, huh? And for that, I'm deeply sorry. I didn't mean to disappear that long, but life got ahold of me. It was my last year of high school and I was trying to make more time with my friends while also trying to work on my final project. Then, the summer came and I found myself busy from children's camp to youth camp and then there was a wedding and I decided to just quit everything for a while. Then, the summer quickly dwindled and now, I'm a college student. It's kind of crazy once I start thinking about it. **

**But anyways, I hope you guys liked the chapter. I struggled to write such a beast, and I even gave up for a while. But here it is. YAY~!**

**Fun fact: Aurora's least favorite fruit are apples, and her favorite are blackberries.**


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